In an age where the phrase “man cave” is a part of our everyday vocabulary, many homeowners are thinking about ways to incorporate them into their homes. When you picture a man cave (and let’s face it, there are plenty of female sports fans out there as well), sports memorabilia, beer, and a big screen TV all come to mind. Unfortunately, not everyone is a sports fan and not every homeowner wants their room filled with collectibles and trophies from the past.
If you’re looking for a way to tastefully fill your man cave with sports memorabilia or incorporate small nods of your favorite pastimes throughout your home without creating an overbearing sense of clutter, we can help! Check out these tips on how to decorate with sports memorabilia:
- Beautify with bobbles. Bobble heads are a fan favorite giveaway at sporting events. Everyone loves the bobbling figurine of their hometown hero, but what can you do with it? Diehards may preserve them in a box and keep them in storage, but if you are looking to display your bobble heads, a family room or child’s bedroom is the perfect location. Install staggered shelving and take those bobble heads out of their boxes. Line them up or intertwine them with other sports memorabilia like books, movies, or other figurines.
- Dress your walls with jerseys. If you want to hang up your favorite player’s jersey or have an autographed shirt you want to be displayed, it is best to have it professionally framed. If you have more than one, choose your favorites that you want to display. Three is the magic number with framed jerseys, as the matting and frame can quickly consume a lot of wall space. To avoid overcrowding, limit yourself to three jerseys. Additionally, hanging things in odd numbers is more aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
- Play with pictures. Autographed photos and posters should also be mounted and framed. Place them in decorative frames to create a unique gallery wall. You don’t need autographs alone for this to be created. Any photos of your favorite stadiums, plays from a game, or friends and family at a tailgate can be incorporated into your gallery aesthetic. Incorporate other elements like bats, balls, hockey pucks, and ticket stubs to create balance. Gallery walls are extremely versatile, so get creative!
- Create a memorabilia mantle. Did your child hit a game winning run? Place the winning ball on a baseball stand and display it on your mantle. This can also work with hockey pucks – they are small enough and won’t overpower the space, and they can be placed alongside the items you already have laid out.
- Preserve your tickets. As far as baseball cards and ticket stubs go, find a collector’s book to place them in. They’ll be more preserved and protected than they would be sitting on an open shelf or coffee table. If you have sports related books and DVDs, get a bookshelf specifically for these items. It can be like your very own sports library. As a bonus, you can work this display into almost any room in your home.
It’s possible to decorate with memorabilia without turning your home into a sports museum. For more help showcasing your sports treasures, contact Catherine Pulcine, an Ottawa interior decorator.